College Football: Preseason Top 25 Projections

Last year, the Hokies missed out on a chance to play in the ACC championship game for a second straight year. All that separated Virginia Tech from that opportunity was a 28-10 loss to the Hurricanes in Miami. Had the Hokies won that game, they and not Miami would have squared off against Clemson. The result there would likely have been the same, but then again Virginia Tech came close a year before against Deshaun Watson and company.

Josh Jackson was nine yards shy of a 3,000-yard season passing the ball as a freshman, and he should improve his accuracy with experience. Jackson isn’t going to break out as a dual-threat quarterback, but he is good in short-yardage situations and scored six rushing touchdowns last year. If healthy, Steven Peoples gives Virginia Tech the best option on the ground. Deshawn McClease, last year’s rushing leader, is also back after taking over following Peoples’s foot injury.

The Hokies lost a top-shelf pair of brothers when linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and safety Terrell Edmunds both went in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Justin Fuente‘s crew also lost defensive tackle Tim Settle, linebacker Andrew Motuapuaka, and cornerbacks Greg Stroman and Brandon Facyson. But there is still plenty to build around for a Virginia Tech team that will open 2018 in the mid-teens of the preseason AP Top 25.